Mouse Family (finish)

Mouse family (detail) commission in
watercolor and acrylic on archival bristol.

Today found me busy finishing up a commission for a family of mice. My two little love-y mice have sparked a bit of interest with private collectors and I am very happy to accommodate their requests (jenndanza@gmail.com if you have something specific in mind for you gift giving needs.) The initial steps of an illustration are fun to produced and share, but the final stages are time consuming and require full concentration. No real "action" photo wise here just the finished piece. Just mom, dad and their four babies sitting in the outdoors.

Of course, my little lovers were about the studio too. I've shown them hugging, kissing, dancing and now snuggling under a big blanket. Although the weather has warmed up considerably it's still cold at night and it seemed fitting to snuggle them tight under a big warm blanket.

Full shot of mouse family

"Wrapped"
Graphite, Watercolor and Acrylics on archival bristol.
(Opps....paper watermark steppin in to say, "hi" in this one!)

Errands = Sketching

Quick Sketch of the Market St. Bridge
from inside Kirby Park

Some days errands can't be avoided. This one errand I had to make was being put off for weeks. Today, I finally decided to run it and nothing was going to stop me. The sweetener in the deal was that I'd travel just down the road a bit from the errand and sketch at the city park.

I had only been at this park once before and really didn't remember it being so lovely and full of sketching AND painting possibilities. My mind was on other things then I guess. Every area I went to offered vast amounts of sketching and painting delights. In all honesty, the stretch of land before me near the small pond would be amazing to rip down full speed on a galloping horse. I had to control my day dreaming. Foggy, rainy days were my absolutely *FAVORITE* to ride in and as lovely and romantic as a beach is to rip down there is nothing like ripping full speed on hard ground.

The air was freezing though and there were quite a few shady characters hanging about in the park. I sketched for a few minutes at a time then when I couldn't stand the cold on my hands I put my gloves back on. I was able to get a few sketches down, but they seem more like quick notations for canvas work. The one "may" turn into a quick small canvas since the clouds, the mountains and all that layered before me will not leave my head. I believe I need to paint it out and since I have the sketch I can do that. Perhaps tomorrow.


View from inside the park

Detail of park view







"Distress. Is there no one to save me?"
Graphite, Watercolor and acrylics on archival bristol."

"You Must Go To Her"
Graphite and Watercolor on archival bristol.

"When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, 'Try it one more time.' "